Earlier this week, Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan defended his decision to join forces with his father after Mike Shanahan became head coach of the Redskins.

Kyle reportedly has made a new decision. To move on.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Kyle Shanahan has decided to no longer work with his father, and that Kyle will embark “on his own path” next year.

Lost in that assessment is the fact that the decision may not rest with Kyle. If he’s under contract beyond 2013, owner Daniel Snyder could insist on keeping him around. Which would be yet another move in the ongoing game of chess/checkers/chicken between Daniel Snyder and Mike Shanahan.

Regardless, Kyle never should have gone to Washington in the first place. While it’s great when fathers and sons can work together, it makes a lot more sense when the father owns the business. When the father is an employee, hiring the son creates a potential mess.

The mess becomes even more complicated when, as Jason La Canfora of NFL Network points out, the father also hires a bunch of the son’s friends — and people in the organization start complaining about the son.

Mike has, in our view, spent a lot of effort this week and previously to insulate Kyle from scrutiny or criticism for the situation in Washington. While Kyle may get a shot to be an offensive coordinator elsewhere, his head-coaching prospects have taken a hit during his four years of working with his father.

"I’m never under the assumption that you draft for need. You draft the best available football player on the board. ... Because, in the long run, they are the ones who will help you win the most games." - Scot McCloughan

Kilmer72 wrote:IMO I think Kyle is saying his dad screwed up. He doesn't want to be a part of dad and son professionally. We could always put all the blame on Dan the cancer though.

around here, the blame game has a different 'winner' each week

The Redskins have been a huge disappointment since 1999 - it's not getting better until Dan Snyder stops interferinggive people the authority to do their jobs and support them 'Happy Xmas, you're fired Bruce Allen' would be a good start

Several members of the organization said Kyle Shanahan was a cause of internal strife, surrounding himself with young coaches with inferior experience, and allowing for no checks and balances of outside voices in the offensive coaching rooms.

“This is the NFL, it's not supposed to be a training ground for coaches,” said someone who has worked with Kyle Shanahan in Washington. “It's ridiculous. Look at this staff. It sucks. Mike's best buddy is (longtime Shanahan assistant and current linebackers coach Bob Slowik), and Slowik's son is in his second year out of college and he's on the staff. Everyone on the staff is in his first or second year except for Mike and Kyle and Haslett (defensive coordinator Jim Haslett) and Raheem (Morris, the secondary coach), and everyone knows Raheem is there because he is close with Kyle. Those two go way back.

“Kyle's not that confident, so they set him up with a bunch of yes men rather than have some experienced coaches to push him. It's like Kyle is the pied piper and these kids just follow him around. I mean, Mike has been a head coach for 20 years -- usually a guy like that has a posse he can bring with him. So he's got Bobby Turner (running backs coach) here, and Slowik, and that's it. How does that happen? How does he end up hiring all of his son's buddies?

And..

As a former member of the organization put it: “Kyle bitches about everything, and then his father has to fix it. He bitches about the food in the cafeteria, he bitches about the field, he bitches about the equipment. He complains and then Mike takes care of it. Kyle is a big problem there. He is not well liked.”

...

Furthermore, Kyle Shanahan has long had a very strained relationship with Griffin, sources said, with one staff member saying Shanahan treats Griffin like, “a JV quarterback.”

Several members of the organization said Kyle Shanahan was a cause of internal strife, surrounding himself with young coaches with inferior experience, and allowing for no checks and balances of outside voices in the offensive coaching rooms.

“This is the NFL, it's not supposed to be a training ground for coaches,” said someone who has worked with Kyle Shanahan in Washington. “It's ridiculous. Look at this staff. It sucks. Mike's best buddy is (longtime Shanahan assistant and current linebackers coach Bob Slowik), and Slowik's son is in his second year out of college and he's on the staff. Everyone on the staff is in his first or second year except for Mike and Kyle and Haslett (defensive coordinator Jim Haslett) and Raheem (Morris, the secondary coach), and everyone knows Raheem is there because he is close with Kyle. Those two go way back.

“Kyle's not that confident, so they set him up with a bunch of yes men rather than have some experienced coaches to push him. It's like Kyle is the pied piper and these kids just follow him around. I mean, Mike has been a head coach for 20 years -- usually a guy like that has a posse he can bring with him. So he's got Bobby Turner (running backs coach) here, and Slowik, and that's it. How does that happen? How does he end up hiring all of his son's buddies?

And..

As a former member of the organization put it: “Kyle bitches about everything, and then his father has to fix it. He bitches about the food in the cafeteria, he bitches about the field, he bitches about the equipment. He complains and then Mike takes care of it. Kyle is a big problem there. He is not well liked.”

...

Furthermore, Kyle Shanahan has long had a very strained relationship with Griffin, sources said, with one staff member saying Shanahan treats Griffin like, “a JV quarterback.”

He sounds like a real nice young man.

Yes, and I see some of that. I wish the rest of us could see who is supposed to be in charge and not let this happen.

Several members of the organization said Kyle Shanahan was a cause of internal strife, surrounding himself with young coaches with inferior experience, and allowing for no checks and balances of outside voices in the offensive coaching rooms.

“This is the NFL, it's not supposed to be a training ground for coaches,” said someone who has worked with Kyle Shanahan in Washington. “It's ridiculous. Look at this staff. It sucks. Mike's best buddy is (longtime Shanahan assistant and current linebackers coach Bob Slowik), and Slowik's son is in his second year out of college and he's on the staff. Everyone on the staff is in his first or second year except for Mike and Kyle and Haslett (defensive coordinator Jim Haslett) and Raheem (Morris, the secondary coach), and everyone knows Raheem is there because he is close with Kyle. Those two go way back.

“Kyle's not that confident, so they set him up with a bunch of yes men rather than have some experienced coaches to push him. It's like Kyle is the pied piper and these kids just follow him around. I mean, Mike has been a head coach for 20 years -- usually a guy like that has a posse he can bring with him. So he's got Bobby Turner (running backs coach) here, and Slowik, and that's it. How does that happen? How does he end up hiring all of his son's buddies?

And..

As a former member of the organization put it: “Kyle bitches about everything, and then his father has to fix it. He bitches about the food in the cafeteria, he bitches about the field, he bitches about the equipment. He complains and then Mike takes care of it. Kyle is a big problem there. He is not well liked.”

...

Furthermore, Kyle Shanahan has long had a very strained relationship with Griffin, sources said, with one staff member saying Shanahan treats Griffin like, “a JV quarterback.”

He sounds like a real nice young man.

This answers a lot of my previous questions about these young coaches...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't our QB coach one of those inexperienced new guys? After all we gave up for RG3, I would think you'd bring in only the best of the best to mold the future of your organization.

I know he's still a player, and hasn't tried coaching, but I think when Peyton is done in the NFL, he would make an excellent QB coach (or even head coach).

"I'm trying to be as honest as I can; I don't normally do that." -Mike Shanahan

When Peyton retires he will have $$$ thrown at him from all the networks. Everyone will want him as an analyst. I think there will be equal interest in him as an Offensive Coordinator. He already pretty much does that on the field. OC for a couple of years, and then straight to a head coach.

Neo wrote:Granted, we're all sick of the "rumors", but the latest is the Skins might keep Shanahan, but get all new coaches otherwise. I'm a bit disenchanted with Shanahan at this point, but I wonder what that would look like.

If people are being let go and Mike returns I wonder who should be responsible for that?

Kyle doesn't even want to work for him anymore.

there are many rumors and a lot of BS that are just being circulated to create a 'story'

how do we know that Kyle does not want to work with Mike anymore - please clarify that - anyone?

The Redskins have been a huge disappointment since 1999 - it's not getting better until Dan Snyder stops interferinggive people the authority to do their jobs and support them 'Happy Xmas, you're fired Bruce Allen' would be a good start

Neo wrote:Granted, we're all sick of the "rumors", but the latest is the Skins might keep Shanahan, but get all new coaches otherwise. I'm a bit disenchanted with Shanahan at this point, but I wonder what that would look like.

If people are being let go and Mike returns I wonder who should be responsible for that?

Kyle doesn't even want to work for him anymore.

there are many rumors and a lot of BS that are just being circulated to create a 'story'

how do we know that Kyle does not want to work with Mike anymore - please clarify that - anyone?

we don't know anything for sure only a report SkinJock

Kyle reportedly has made a new decision. To move on.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Kyle Shanahan has decided to no longer work with his father, and that Kyle will embark “on his own path” next year.